Lonely Hearts
by Stray Dreamer
Summary: Ikuto and Amu both hate Valentine's Day. But when they run into each other and find out they're not so alone, something happens that neither of them ever expected. Valentine's Day one-shot. -Amuto-


**So this was originally going to be a one-shot, but then it turned into a two-shot, and then the ideas in my head swirled so it was going to be longer. But then I decided to use those ideas in future stories! So it's back to a one-shot...hehe. Happy Valentine's Day!**

**I don't own Shugo Chara, but it's my Valentine today.......**

* * *

_I remember what you wore on the first day  
You came into my life and I thought  
"Hey, you know, this could be something"  
'Cause everything you do and words you say  
You know that it all takes my breath away  
And now I'm left with nothing  
So maybe it's true  
That I can't live without you  
And maybe two is better than one  
But there's so much time  
To figure out the rest of my life  
And you've already got me coming undone  
And I'm thinking two is better than one_

_Boys Like Girls ft. Taylor Swift- Two Is Better Than One_

* * *

The lonely pinkette trudged down the walkway with her small hands in her jean's pockets and her head hanging down. She heard the joyful laughter of the couples surrounding her mixed with the sound of romantic music played by a local band on a street corner. The golden-eyed girl was surrounded by a sea of red and pink colors and countless hearts, cupid figurines, flowers, and chocolates.

The atmosphere was around her was overly cheerful. The love was so thick in the air that it was almost tangible. The young, teenage girl lifted her gaze to look at all the happy couples. She smiled, glad to see so many people enjoying each other's company, even if she didn't have it herself.

She can't believe she went for a walk today of all days when she knew full well how it was going to be. Yes, it was Valentine's Day, her least favorite holiday. It was the holiday to celebrate the love you share with friends, family, and lovers. The slender girl didn't have a whole lot of love in her life. Her parents expected her to be an obedient, older sister and keep quiet while they showered the younger one with love, attention, and extravagant gifts.

She had no friends to speak of; her fake, icy facade prevented that, so anything closer was even more distant. But instead of staying home alone all day, the girl felt compelled to leave for a while, and just go wherever her feet took her. She pasted on a small smile so no one would notice her loneliness, and kept walking, entering the closed amusement park she liked to go to when she needed to think.

Meanwhile, a sapphire-eyed boy jumped angrily out of the tree he had been resting in, and headed for a different location, slinging his cased violin across his shoulder. He was so sick and tired of being so completely alone. A nonexistent family, no true friends, no one at all. All he wanted was one person. One person who could understand, one person who could accept him and all his suffering. Everyone who he had come close to befriending would quickly push him away once they noticed all the baggage that he carried.

He'd never openly expressed his pain, but it was all there, evident on his face. His father abandoning his mother, younger sister, and himself when he was still young; his mother betraying them when she remarried the director of Easter who he was forced to work for. And then his little sister, who put everything behind her and left on tour. How he wished he could escape as well.

As the blue-haired boy started to cross a busy part of the town, his head snapped up. He saw the one thing he didn't want to see at the moment--love. It was everywhere. The buildings were covered in pink and red hearts, the outdoor tables were adorned with lovely roses, and the streets were filled by lovey-dovey couples and a band playing sappy music.

He gritted his teeth, and his fists clenched in his pockets. It had completely slipped his mind that today was Valentine's Day. The tall boy huffed in frustration, and masked his face before leaving quickly for his destination. After a few minutes, he arrived at one of his favorite places--the old amusement park he and his family used to go to before everything fell apart.

The boy was shocked to see that he wasn't alone in the dark area. Amidst the noises of the bright street behind him, he could hear a soft humming that seemed to be coming from the girl sitting on a bench by one of the rides with her back to him. The girl's humming was quiet and lonely with a light hint of sadness.

The boy's first thought was to leave before the girl with the unusual pink hair saw him, but something was holding him there, and he had the a sudden impulse to go to the girl. Slowly, he made his way to her, using cat-like grace to remain silent. He came around to the front of the bench, figuring she would see him by now. When she didn't react, he noticed that her eyes were closed, so he took the opportunity to study her.

The girl had medium-length, light pink hair that was cut in soft layers. Her complexion was creamy, and she had gentle features. Her long legs were pulled up to her chest, and her chin rested on her knees. She was very pretty, and the boy found himself wanting to know what color her eyes were. But what really struck him was the lines of loneliness and maturity that gave her this air that made her seem like she was forced to grow up before she had a real chance at child hood, just like him. It made him sad, and he wondered why he felt so sad for someone he'd never met. He took a seat next to her, mimicking her pose, and listening to her wordless song, watching her face.

The girl hadn't realized that someone had joined her, so she kept humming. Her heart was sorrowful, but she wanted to remain positive and try to be happy. She had to be strong. A sad, but happy smile played on her lips.

The boy watched her intently, his eyes widening in amazement at her unusual smile. It was sad...but happy at the same time. Was that even possible?

The girl sighed as her song came to a close and she opened her eyes. Seeing someone sitting next to her, she shrieked and leaped off the bench, startled. She opened one eye and then the other, and saw a boy who looked to be a few years older than her peering back at her with an amused expression. Her anger flared up unexpectedly, and she did something the boy didn't think she would do; she glared fiercely at him. He didn't think a girl so fragile a moment ago could look so intense. _It must be her eyes_. He thought when he finally got to see them. They were a piercing yellow, verging on a golden-honey hue, and they contrasted greatly with her otherwise soft face.

"What the hell?!" the girl yelled at him, moving her hands in angry gestures. "Who do you think you are?!" You can't just sneak up on innocent people like that and scare them silly! You stupid cat!"

He rose an eyebrow, the smirk never leaving his face. He didn't expect that. The girl waited for him to respond, but he said nothing, and she was getting frustrated. She dropped her angry pose for a moment, suddenly realizing something--she had yelled at him. She never yelled. She always had a cool, calm facade, never losing control. Ever. And yet, she'd so easily lost her temper with a complete stranger. What was it about this idiotic, beautiful boy?

When she finally realized that he still hadn't replied, she huffed, and began to march away. "Wait," a low, smooth voice said quietly, stopping her in her tracks.

"What?!" she fumed, turning back towards him. She stood her ground, albeit nervously as the boy stood and walked over to her.

The boy didn't want her to leave just yet. She was definitely an interesting character. The way her facial expressions changed instantaneously, and how she reacted to things certainly drew his attention. But in her eyes, behind the anger, was still that underlying depression. He was curious about her.

The girl noticed something about the boy too. Despite his amused smirk, she saw that he hid a lot of pain and suffering, but he hid it very well. The only reason she could see was because she knew that look. It was the same look reflected at her in the mirror everyday. He was lonely and downhearted too, and also angry.

"Ikuto," the boy said bluntly.

The girl looked at him in confusion. "W-What?" she asked, tilting her head.

"My name," the boy said, "Is Ikuto."

The girl crossed her arms irritably and said sassily, "Good for you."

He chuckled and said, "Aren't you going to tell me your name?"

"No," she stated, "why should I? Just because you tell me yours doesn't mean I'm entitled to give you mine. For all I know, you could be some psycho stalker who kidnaps girls like me."

The boy, Ikuto, laughed again, and the girl narrowed her eyes. "As if I'd want to kidnap you," he teased, trying to contain his laughter. He didn't know why, but he felt the need tease, even though he'd never teased anyone before.

The girl gaped for a moment before clenching her jaw with an audible _snap!_ and went to walk away again.

"Wait!" Ikuto called again. "I'm sorry. Please tell me your name."

The girl looked at him to see that he was serious, and that his emotions weren't as hidden as before.

Stunned, she replied after a minute, "A-Amu. I'm Amu."

His face settled into a content smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Amu," he said smoothly, causing Amu to blush.

All she could manage was a quiet, "Mmhm."

After a few moments of just looking at each other, trying to figure the other out, Ikuto said, "Hey Amu, would you take a walk with me?"

Amu looked at him warily. She knew she shouldn't accept such an offer from a stranger, even a good-looking one, but her heart told her otherwise. She nodded slowly, and followed Ikuto out the carelessly left-open gate and back into the rush of the Valentine's couples. Amu tried to keep up with the strange boy, but it was hard with all the absentminded people pushing by. She instinctively reached out for him, catching the cloth of his long-sleeve, black shirt.

He stopped and smirked, and Amu already knew he was going to tease her. "Hm? So you don't want to lose me?"

She jerked her hand back, and said, "Pfft, you wish."

He chuckled, seeing past her cold exterior. "If you say so," he said, taking up his walk again, Amu following as close as she could behind him. Finally, they made it to an empty park, and Ikuto took a seat on the edge of the big water fountain in the middle of the park, patting the spot next to him for Amu to join him. She sat down a little further from where he gestured. Ikuto looked at her. For some reason, he wanted to know her more. Amu, on the other hand, was having mixed emotion about Ikuto. She wanted to leave because that was her natural reaction, but at the same time she wanted to stay for unexplainable reasons. She kept her gaze away from him, but she could feel his intense stare boring into her.

She was starting to get more antsy, and right as she was about to snap at him for staring at her, he said, "So Amu, what's your favorite color?"

She just blinked blackly at him. "What kind of question is that?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Just a question," he replied.

Amu said nothing.

"Hm?" he prompted.

She muttered something inaudibly.

"What was that?"

"Blue," she mumbled, but didn't know why. Her favorite color was pink. She had a hunch that it had to do with Ikuto's eyes.

"Liar."

Amu's head whipped around to meet his eyes. "What?"

"You're lying," he said. "I can tell. What is it really?"

After a moment, she looked away and said, "It's pink."

"Why did you say blue?" Ikuto asked.

Before she could stop herself, Amu said, "Because it's the color of your eyes." After she said it, she clapped her hands over her mouth, and blushed a deep red. Ikuto looked shocked. "I-I m-m-mean--"

"It's okay," Ikuto cut her off, "to be honest." He smiled at her. Amu looked at him, then down to her lap. She was never really honest with anyone. She always hid her feelings, and said what people expected of her. She was beginning to warm up to Ikuto a tiny bit.

"What about you?" she said quietly.

"What?" he said, snapping out of deep thought.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked shyly.

He smiled lightly, and said, "Indigo."

She nodded in acknowledgment.

Ikuto wanted to know why this girl was alone tonight. Amu wanted to know why he was too, but was too timid to ask.

"Why aren't you out with your friends tonight?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Her face hardened slightly as she said, "I don't have any."

Ikuto looked genuinely shocked. "Why not?"

"B-Because of my personality. I'm so cold to people," she said, hunching over.

"They can't tell that it's an act?" he asked.

Amu looked at him, eyes wide. "How did you...?"

"Am I wrong?" he questioned.

"No," she said, uncrossing her arms, "I'm just surprised. No one's ever been able to tell that that isn't the real me. I can't express myself very well."

"Why can't you?"

She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I-I guess it's because...well, I don't really know. What about you? Why are you alone?"

He sighed, really wanting to tell her, but not wanting her to pity him. He shrugged and said, "Along the same lines I guess."

Looking at him skeptically, she said, "You know, if you just tell someone to be honest, you shouldn't lie either."

"Does it really matter why?" he said. "The point is we're alone."

Amu shook her head and said, "You're wrong."

He glanced at her. "I am?"

She nodded, saying, "We're not alone."

Ikuto frowned. "How?"

She looked at him with a small smile. "Well, I'm here and you're here, so we're not alone. We're here together."

Together. Not alone. Ikuto had wanted that for so long...to have a friend, and so did Amu. It seemed like they found one on accident.

Ikuto reached across the distance between them for Amu's hand. She was shocked at the unfamiliar contact at first, but she entwined her fingers with his almost automatically. They smiled at each other, the same thought running through their heads.

Maybe Valentine's Day wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Let me know what you think please. :)**

**~Stray**


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